Hi Friends , Today I would like to share my Chicken Birayni recipe with you. When I frist came to U S ,one of my friend taught me how to use the oven and told me how she does her biryani in that . Since then I have been doing the Chicken biryani at home and every one likes the recipe so much that I decided to put it in the blog. The basic difference between the traditional dum biryani and the way I do is cooking the rice . The original recipe needs the rice to be cooked on stove top till 70 % done and then strain the water . This makes the rice to loose all the starch in it. The only problem would be that while cooking in larger quantities , say for a party we need to be extra careful handling the hot dishes . So , instead I cook the rice in a electric rice cooker with less water and then do the dum in the oven as usual. So it is up to you how you want to cook your rice , but the rest of the procedure would remain same. For best result ,you need to marinate the chicken for 1 day i,e 24 hrs. This dish goes well with Sherwa ( Biryani gravy ) the recipe of which you can find in the blog or with any chicken curry and raita ( yogurt mixed with veggies).

Chicken Biryani

Ingredients:

Skinless Chicken – 2 lb ( washed and cut)

Basmati rice – 4 cups( washed and soaked for 30 mins)

Saffron – about 20 strands ( soaked in 2 tbsp of warm milk)

Cardamom – 6 ( 4 for rice and 2 for chicken)

cloves – 6 to 8 ( 5 for rice and 3 for chicken)

Cinnamon- 3 ( 1 inch piece each) ( 2 for rice and 1 for chicken)

Star Anise – 1

Nutmeg whole – 1

Javitri – 1

Bay leaves – 4

Green chilles – 5 ( slit)

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Onion – 1 ( thinly sliced)

Fried onion – 3/4 cup

Cilantro – 3 tbsp ( chopped)

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Oil – 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water – 6 cups

To marinate the chicken:

Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp

yougurt / curd – 1 cup

Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp

garam masala powder – 1/2 tbsp

Salt – 2 tsp

lemon juice – 2 tbsp ( juice of one lemon)

oil – 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients and cover it with a plastic wrap and refrigerate it for overnight. ( this would give you the best result ). Minimum time would be 2hrs.

Start the biryani by cooking the rice .

Take a pan (big enough to hold 4 cups of rice) and heat ghee in it . To this add the whole spices and saute . To this add the pre-soaked rice and fry lightly . Transfer this to Rice cooker , add the water and salt to taste , stir well and cook.

Take another pan and heat 2 tbsp of oil . ( you can use the same pan in which you fried rice ) .Once the oil is hot , add the whole spices , green chillies , ginger garlic paste and saute .To this add the onion and saute till translucent . To this add the marinated chicken and fry . Cook the chicken stirring in between till oil separates from sides . The gravy consistency should be thick and rich . This may take around 20 to 30 mins . ( It should not be too dry or too watery ).

Once rice and chicken are both done preheat the oven at 350° F.

Take a baking dish layer with rice and chicken ( one time rice , one time chicken ) .

Top it up with saffron mixed milk and then fried onions.

Cover the dish with aluminium foil and cook in the oven for 45 mins.

Once done garnish with cilantro.

Note : When we are cooking rice with 6 cups of water it is 3/4 done . The rest of the cooking is done in oven with juices of the chicken. But you can always try the original way of doing the rice . You should be on watch while cooking rice in a vessel and then strain it.

Hi friends , I know most of you want to bake at home but always step back because of lack of appliances and sometimes because of doubt on measuring the ingredients . Today’s recipe is one of a kind , where you dont need to measure or use any special appliances . Yes, this recipe can be made quick and easy and the result is wonderful . I heard from many that Bisquick mix cannot be used for baking cookies and cakes and I am not sure about cakes yet but yes, you can bake cookies and they turn out to be yummy. Trust me.

apricot cookies

Ingredients:

Bisquick mix – 1 cup ( donot sift )

Butter – 1 stick ( melt and bring it to room temp)

Sugar – 1/2 cup

Apricot(dried) – 1/2 cup ( chopped)

Almonds – 1/2 cup ( chopped)

Raisins – 1/4 cup ( chopped) (optional)

Salt – pinch

Preparation:

In a large bowl take the measured Bisquick mix and add salt and sugar and mix with a spoon. Now add the butter and knead it into a smooth dough.

To this add the apricots , almonds and raisins and knead well .

Now take a plastic wrap and place the dough on it and cover the edges length wise and roll out with the help of two hands into a tube .

Freeze the dough for about 1 hr in the freezer.

Then take out and cut into 1/2 inch wide pieces .

Layer the baking tray with a parchment paper and place the pieces about 1 inch apart .

Preheat the oven at 350 °F and bake for 20 to 25 mins . ( the edges would be slightly browned)

Remove from the oven and transfer on to a cooling rack and allow them to cool .

Note: The recipe makes about 15 cookies . Store in a air tight container after they are cooled.

Hi Friends , My friend shared this recipe with me and I am sharing with you all. She gave me two versions and I tried both . One was her mother-in-law’s recipe where she boiled the grated lauki/ bottle gaurd and then formed the kofta’s /balls . But what I have observed is that, as we do the deep fry , it is not required to boil or cook before . She not only shared the recipe but also the lauki with me . She got a big , I can say , about 4 feet tall lauki from a friend which she said is too much for her . So she gave an half to me . I tried this recipe for the first time and it was yummy. It goes well with roti or naan , any find of flavoured rice recipes.

Kofta curry

Ingredients:

Lauki / bottle gaurd – 4 cups ( grated and tighly packed )

Potato – 1 large Cooked and mashed ( optional **** this helps to bind the koftas but not a must )

Besan /chick peas flour- 4 tbsp

Onion – 1 medium ( paste)

Tomato – 1 large ( puree)

Green chilles – 4 (slit)

cilantro – 3 tbsp ( chopped)

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Red chilli powder – 3 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp

mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

cumin – 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Butter – 2 tbsp

Whipping cream / Cream – 1 1/2 cup

Water – about 1 cup

Preparation:

Squeeze out the excess water from the grated lauki using a clean kitchen towel.

Take the lauki in to a bowl and add besan , 1/2 tsp of chilli powder , 1/4 tsp of garam masala powder and salt to taste . Mix well and form the koftas/ balls out of them and plate them for frying. Do not add any water . If you doubt that koftas wont hold their shape , you can add mashed potato. I didnot need to.

In a frying pan / kadai heat the oil for deep fry. Once oil is hot enough drop the balls slowly in to the oil, fry on medium heat until they turn gloden brown and take out on a paper towel. Fry them in batches , 5 to 8 at a time .It will take about 5 mins for each batch.

Now in a pan , heat butter and to this add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds .Once they splutter add green chillies , ginger garlic paste and fry . Then add the onion paste and fry .

Now add the dry spices and mix well . To this add the tomato puree ,mix and cook for 5 to 8 mins with lid on.

Keep the flame on low and add the whipping cream to the pan and mix well . Add some water and adjust the consistency of the gravy . Add salt to taste and cook for 5 mins on medium flame .

Now slowly add the kofta balls and cook for about 10 mins on medium to low flame . This will help the koftas to cook in the gravy and absorb the flavours too.

Hi , Friends flavoured rice recipes are something all want to do for a change and for good taste too. Why always the rice and dal combinations , sometimes simple recipes like the today’s recipe blooms the taste buds so well . This is quite simple and elegant too. It goes with just the raita( yogurt mix) or can be served with chicken curry or aloo kurma. I like it raita. This is kids special too. Those who are picky eaters with veggies love this dish because there is nothing to fish out of the dish.

Tomato rice

Ingredients:

Tomatoes – 4 large ( for puree)

Onion – 1 small ( thinly chopped)

Green chillies – 3 slit

Curry leaves – 5 to 8

Coriander – 1 tbsp ( chopped)

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Cloves – 3

Cardamom – 2

Whole black pepper – 5 to 8

Rice – 3 cups( Sona masoori or basmati rice)

Water – 4 to 5 cups ( depends on tomato puree)

Salt to taste

Ghee – 1 tbsp ( optional)

Oil – 1 tbsp

Preparation:

To puree the tomatoes , cut the tomatoes into halves and add a cup of water and blend it in a blender.Measure the puree and add enough water so that you have total liquid of 7 cups. ( water + puree = 7 cups).

Now take a pan and heat the oil in it. Once hot add the mustard , cumin . Once they splutter add the pepper and cloves saute for 30 secs and then add the ginger garlic paste to it. Once the raw smell is gone , add the chopped onion , green chilles and saute.

To this add the washed and rinsed rice and saute for about a minute.

To this add the tomato puree and water and mix well . Add salt to taste .

Cook for about 5 mins and then transfer in to a electric rice cooker and cook till it is done . Once done drizzle ghee on top and mix .

Garnish with chopped coriander before serving.

Note : If you want to cook in a pressure cooker you need to give 2 to 3 whistles extra . This is because we have added tomatoes , so Rice takes more time to cook. You can add 1 tbsp of ghee after the rice is done to add more flavour.

Hi Friends , Today’s recipe is simple yet tasty . I like this side dish with Roti or Naan ( Indian bread) .

Aloo mattar paneer

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 2 large peeled and cut into cubes

Onion – 1 large chopped finely

Tomatoes – 1 large cut into cubes

Green chillies – 3 chopped

Cilantro – 1 tbsp chopped

Green peas – 1/2 cup (frozen or fresh)

Paneer / fresh Cheese cubes – about 8 oz fried

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/4 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Butter – 1 tbsp

Water – 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Take a pan and heat oil in it. Once hot add the cumin and mustard seeds and let then pop . To this add the onion , green chillies and saute . Cook for a min so that the onions are tender . Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute .

Now add the Potatoes and stir . Add some salt so that the potatoes cook fast . Cover with a lid and cook for about 2 mins on medium to low heat .

Now add the spices and stir well and then add the tomatoes and cook for a min . To this add the paneer and the green peas and stir well.

Add the water and salt to taste and stir . Close the lid and cook for about 3 mins on medium heat .

Garnish with clilantro.

Note: Check the salt as we are adding twice . Once for the potatoes to cook and once when everything is in the pan .

When I was in my 7th or 8th grade I saw Saukaru Janaki the famous telugu actress cooking today’s recipe on a TV show. I liked the look and presentation of the dish a lot but , I was then not that familiar with the cooking. Now ,yes, I can cook and show you how it can be done in the best and easy way .This recipe tastes good with steamed rice and roti.

In a kadai or fry pan heat 1 tbsp of oil and add all the ingredients for stuffing and stir fry. Roast for about 3 to 5 mins .

After cooling for a while grind into fine paste .

Stuff each piece of ridge gourd carefully and set aside .

Now in the same pan heat oil and add cumin and mustard seeds and ginger garlic paste and stir fry for 1 min. Now slowly place the pieces flat side down. Keep the heat on medium to low and fry the pieces slowly turning them in-between .

Pour the left over paste on to the frying pieces and slowly mix without breaking.To this add the dry spices and salt to taste and stir slowly.

Keep the flame in low and cover the pan with a lid and cook till oil seperates from sides . It would be about 15 to 20 mins .

note: Do not add water at any time because ridge gourd has lots of water in it .

Since I was a child I am fond of Ganesh chathurthi and my parents used to say that it is pooja for children and that made us involved in this pooja . In our house Palathalikalu ( rice noodle or strings cooked in milk) is a must for this pooja. When I was a child , me and my sisters used to prepare the ganesh idol for pooja . But then when we were in our teens we used to buy the idol . But now after being in US , I started doing it again . Once I made it with play dough and this year I made with clay . I decorated the idol with sandal wood powder ( chandan ) and used some glitter from my daughter’s colour collection . We all enjoyed doing the pooja .

Palatalikalu for ganesh chaturthi

Ingredients:

Rice flour – 1 cup

Milk – 4 cups ( whole or 2 %)

Sugar – 1 cup

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Cashews – 10 to 15 ( slit)

Raisins – 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Water -1 3 /4 cup

Preparation:

Take water in a small pan and bring it to a boil and add the rice flour to it and mix well so that no lumps are formed . Switch off the flame and over the pan with a lid . That heat is sufficient to cook the flour .

Take a large pan to prepare the palatalikalu . Pour milk in this and bring to a boil .

While milk is boiling form the rice noodle . To do this, apply ghee to your palm and take some rice flour paste and roll between the palm to form a string or thick noodle each of about 2 inch length. Plate them .

Once the milk comes to a boil add sugar and mix well . To this add the thalikalu ( the rice noodle ) and cook on low to medium heat for 3 mins.

In a saute pan heat the ghee and saute the cashews and raisins and add to the milk and stir slowly and cook for 1 min and switch off the flame .